XMG P303 Pro Review

XMG P303 Pro Review

Manufacturer: Mysn Schenker UK Price: £663+

Portable gaming laptops have generally been fraught with compromise, either delivering too little performance or too much bulk to be worthy of the description. But, with laptops becoming ever more slim, speedy and power-sippin’, we’re edging ever closer to them being a practical reality. The question today is whether the Mysn Schenker XMG P303 Pro is the laptop to lead that charge.

This 13in laptop certainly ticks plenty of the right boxes: its footprint is no larger than your average 13in laptop, it packs a hefty spec sheet – including an Nvidia GTX 765M – and at a glance it looks the part too. But how does it hold up to closer inspection?

Design
Pretty well actually. Certainly in the looks department XMG has done a much better job than with its larger P503. Sure, the P303 still has a slightly generic feel but the chiclit isolated-key keyboard, the slight chamfer on the corners of the chassis and the silver/grey interior that contrasts nicely with the matt black top and bottom all combine to create something that’s simple but effective.

The finish on the top is a nice soft touch while the rest of the chassis has a plain matt finish. We’d prefer a consistent finish to the top and bottom but it’s a minor point. The retail version of the chassis will also feature an XMG logo on the lid and under the screen, but both are relatively unobtrusive.

Official stock image of the final design, including XMG logos.

In terms of bulk, while it has an impressively modest footprint the P303 is inevitably somewhat thicker and heavier than your average ultrabook, at 31.9mm and 2kg respectively. In comparison the super sleek 14in Razer Blade gaming laptop is 16.8mm thick and 1.88kg in weight. But that’s why it costs considerably more, and the larger screen size of the Blade allows for extra slimness too.

Indeed if we’re talking specifically 13in models, rather than simply ‘smallish’ gaming laptops then the P303 has few rivals – most are 14in. It’s based on the Clevo W230ST chassis so theoretically a number of system integrators could use this same chassis but at the time of writing few have, with only the American company Origin PC also offering it. All that said, we would still have liked to see the P303/W230ST be just a tad thinner and lighter to push home the portable point.

For those of you that like to add a personal touch to your laptop, the P303 may not be your first choice as it offers no options either at purchase or via multi-coloured lighting to dial in your own colour preference. It’s black and grey all the way, but if that means a cheaper laptop we certainly approve.